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J DOCUMENT RESUME EA 027 579 ED 395 389 TITLE Protocols for Processing Secondary Student Expulsions. Seminole County Public Schools, Sanford, FL. INSTITUTION PUB DATE 1 Jan 96 NOTE 95p. Non-Classroom Use (055) Reports PUB TYPE Guides Descriptive (141) MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Compliance (Legal); *Discipline Policy; *Discipline DESCRIPTORS Problems; Due Process; *Expulsion; Public Schools; School Districts; Secondary Education; *Secondary School Students; Student Behavior; Substance Abuse; Suspension; Violence; *Withdrawal (Education) Seminole County School District FL IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT In recent years, Seminole County Public Schools in Florida, adopted new guidelines for the processing of student expulsions. This manual was designed to clarify the processes associated with student expulsion in secondary schools in Seminole County. It describes the protocols, procedures, and paperwork needed to comply with the school board's requirements for documentation of each expulsion option. Options include full exclusion from any and all Seminole County Public Schools, application to Project Exuel (an alternative educational placement), transfer to another county school, or return to home school on a district behavior contract. Three situations require the production of a comprehensive expulsion packet--a recommendation for full exclusion, a request by the student or guardians for a formal hearing, and a recommendation for student application to Project Excel for a second time. Sample forms are included. Some forms in Spanish are also included. (LMI) *************************************************u********************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** SEMINOLE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 00 tn PROTOCOLS FOR PROCESSING SECONDARY STUDENT EXPULSIONS The School Board of Seminole County Sandy Robinson, Chairman Larry Strickler, Vice Chairman Dr. Barbara Kuhn Jeanne Morris Nancy Warren SEMINOLE COUNTY PUBUC SCHOOLS Dr. Paul J. Hagerty Superintendent Department of Secondary Education Dr. Tom Marcy Dr. Ron Pinnell January 1, 1996 BEST COPY AVAILABLE ki) L S DEPA:1TriENT OF E:JUCATION JCE THIS PERMISSION TO RE= EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ER 'ANTED By BEEt. MATERIAL H,. Tn r^e^t ha: been n Ditichu rp recenied OpnY the person n Orr Idn eato oro3inattno navy heen mape (' El ,rnNove eer,.,Jachcn Dual opions (1-) P ;, e.. ,,110(1,f1 represpr. ',: neceSSar. CIDC,1,,e^' TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 04.C..10E,41 POSIPOn or poor INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1, 2, 3 4, 5, 6, 6-a,b,c,d General Procedures Initial Notification of the District Office Length of Suspension - Option A Length of Suspension - Option B Length of Suspension - Option C/D Confirmation of Recommendation to District Office Submission of Expulsion Packet Notification of Official School Board Action Withdrawal Codes/Procedures Trouble Shooting 7, 8 Current Forms Required Signatures Forms in Native Language Subjective Comments on Observation and Referral Form Witness Statements Student Study Team Recommendations Formal Hearings 9 Principal's Recommendation Full Exclusion Refusal to Sign Expulsion Waiver/Contract Project Excel-Second Time 10, II Waivers & Behavior Contracts Initial Notification Parent Meeting Waiver/Contract Signed Student Re-entry Confirmation Packet Submission Consent Agenda Notification of Parties 12, 13 Project Excel Description Who recommends Placement? District Contract to Excel Signed Confirmation to District Office Timing of Excel Application Not Automatic Screening Requirements Transportation 14, 15, 16, 17 Special Issues Repetitive Expulsions Zero Tolerance Firearms/Explosive Devices Other Weapons Sale/Distribution of Drugs/Alcohol Possession/Use/Influence of Drugs/Alcohol Off-Campus Felony Acts OffiCampus Delinquent Acts 20 19, 18, Violation of District Behavior Contract Determination of Violation Options Available Determination of Appropriate Sanction Processing Follow-Up Recommendations 21 Requests for Rehearing 32 31, Option A Option A Documentation Option A Forms 34 33, Option B Option B Documentation Option B Forms Option C 35, 36 Option C Documentation Option C Forms Option D 37, 38 Option D Documentation Option D Forms Forms in Spanish Options A, B, C, D Exceptional Student Education 22-30a Disciplinary Procedures Processing Expulsion Recommendations Misbehavior-A Manifestation Alternative Placement "Stay Put" Rule Misbehavior-Not A Manifestation Manifestation Determination Mainstreaming From PA.I. INTRODUCTION In recent years, new guidelines have been adopted for the processing of These revised procedures have brought about a student expulsions. fundamental change in the manner in which recommendations for student expulsion are made and acted upon in Seminole County Public Schools. This manual is provided to schools to assist in the delineation and clarification of the processes associated with student expulsion in secondary schools. It is imperative for everyone who is involved in the processing of student expulsions to have a common understanding of what is necessary and required for engaging the appropriate procedures associated with each expulsion option. Having a common understanding of these protocols will prevent unnecessary delays in processing recommendations, improve communication between and among all the parties involved (students; well as administrators), as district administrators; parents; school professionalize the entire process. In the past, every recommendation for expulsion required a due process This, in turn, required the school to hearing before the School Board. produce a comprehensive expulsion packet designed to withstand a legal challenge in a formal hearing before the School Board. are three situations which require the production of a Now, there is when a student The first, comprehensive expulsion packet. is recommended for full exclusion from any and all Seminole County Public Schools (Option A) for a specified period of time. The second, is when a student or a parent/guardian requests a formal hearing before the School Board. The third, is when a student is recommended to apply to Project Excel a second time in his/her secondary school career. All other expulsion recommendations involve the signing of an Expulsion Waiver and a District Behavior Contract to hold a student's expulsion in abeyance while the he/she is given the opportunity to re-enroll in a Seminole County Public School. Just where in the district a student is to matriculate, at Project Excel (Option B), at an out-of-zone school site (Option C), or at the student's zoned school (Option D), will be determined 6 recommendation of the by the principal being acr,epted by the Superintendent. The signing of an Expulsion Waiver and a District Behavior Contract eliminates the formal hearing requirement previously associated with all As a result, the school expulsions. is not required to compile a comprehensive expulsion packet. Instead, a truncated expulsion packet which provides the necessary documentation is assembled by the school. It is critical to note that the student and his/her parents/guardians must agree to all elements of the Expulsion Waiver and all terms of the District Behavior Contract in order for the student to be allowed to re-enroll ia Seminole County Public Schools. If the student or the parents refuse to agree, in full or in part, to the elements or terms of either document, then a formal hearing before the School Board is required and the corresponding comprehensive expulsion packet must be prepared by the school. Truncated expulsion packets that correspond with Consent Agenda expulsion Options B, C, and D are presented to the School Board for approval at a designated Expulsion Hearing, or at a regularly scheduled School Board meeting. Attendance by a school administrator at the designated Expulsion Hearing or Schuol Board meeting is not necessary or required when a student agrees to the elements of the Expulsion Waiver and the terms of the District Behavior Contract. What follows is a description of the protocols, procedures and paperwork which comports with the School Board's requirements for documentation of each expulsion option. It is anticipated that the changes referred to above will significantly reduce the amount of paperwork required for processing student expulsions. It is important to keep in mind the legal implications and the professional impressions associated with the quality of the paperwork submitted in this process. Thorough completion of all forms, accuracy in detail, timeliness of submission, and the inclusion of all required signatures are crucial to ensuring the expulsion process proceeds as expertly and expeditiously as possible. The importance of attending to these issues cannot be overstated. 2 Whatever is written by students, teachers, parents, and administrators will be closely scrutinized by the members of the School Board, the Superintendent, and the Executive Director of Secondary Education for both substance and clarity. The documents might also be examined by attorneys, hearing officers, investigators from the Office of Civil Rights, and judges at the state or federal level. It is imperative that all paperwork submitted be neat and legible. A section of this manual is dedicated to the protocols required for processing an expulsion recommendation involving student receiving ESE services or 504 accommodations, identified as qualifying for ESE services or 504 accommodations, or as possibly being in need of ESE services or 504 accommodations. However, it is important to emphasize that the most critical requirement in the entire process of dealing with those situations is the convening of a Student Study Team (SST) meeting and the inclusion of the minutes of this meeting in the submitted expulsion packet. Finally, keep in mind that this is an evolving process. Adjustments in specific protocols may be called for as feedback is received regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of these procedures. When revisions are required, replacement pages will be forwarded to each school. 3 GENERAL PROCEDURES The following procedures are to be followed in the processing of any recommendation for expulsion: Initial Notification of the District Office: Telephone notification 1. to the Office of Secondary Education is to occur immediately after it has been determined that a student has committed an act warranting a recommendation for expulsion. The school administrator in charge of the case should identify the: student's name student's grade name of school name of the administrator handling the .ase student's ESE or 504 status student's offense length of suspension principal's recommendation for expulsion length of expulsion target date for submitting the expulsion to the Board any other pertinent information related to the case. If a Weapon is involved in the incident, the principal is to Note: immediately fax or hand deliver a picture or photocopy of the weapon to the Office of Secondary Education. 2. Length of Suspension (Option A): The duration of the out-of- school suspension that attaches to an Option A expulsion recommendation shall prevent the student from returning to school prior to the formal expulsion hearing before the School Board. Note: The Office of Secondary Education must be contacted whenever it becomes necessary to extend a suspension beyond the 10 day maximum to prevent a student from returning to school prior to the School Board taking action on the expulsion recommendation. 4 3. Length of Suspension (Option B): Students recommended to apply to Project Excel will be contacted by the Project Excel staff within 48 hours of the Office of Secondary Education receiving confirmation from the principal that the Expulsion Waiver and District Behavior Contract have been signed. The student shall not return to the zoned school after these documents have been signed. This applies even if the term of the suspension that attached to the incident has been completed. 4. Length of Suspension (Options C & D): The duration of the suspension shall reflect the severity of the offense and conform to the Student Conduct and Discipline Code. The student may return to the zoned school or the alternative school site immediately after the Expulsion Waiver and District Behavior Contract have been signed by all the appropriate parties and the student has served the suspension that attachee to the infraction. Confirmation of Recommendation to District Office: The 5. principal shall notify the Office of Secondary Education immediately after he/she has met with the student/parents to clarify the rationale for an Option A recommendation, or to sign the Expulsion Waiver and the District Behavior Contract for Options B, C, or D. Note: The purpose of this contact is to confirm which expulsion option and accompanying documentation will be submitted to the School Board for action. Note: Individual copies of all forms required for documentation should be distributed to the appropriate parties by the administration of the school making the expulsion recommendation. 5